As the anticipated announcement of an iPad refresh draws nearer, the tidbits of insider information are seeping out at faster rates.

As the anticipated announcement of an iPad refresh draws nearer, the tidbits of insider information are seeping out at faster rates.

Among the latest: a report that the next generation of the Apple iPad features a high-resolution Retina display, powered by a dual-core graphics chip. The high-resolution screen and faster GPU would allows the iPad 2 to play 1080p HD video, according to an AppleInsider report citing sources familiar with the matters.

The new graphics chip inside the yet-unannounced iPad 2 is said to pack four times the processing capability of the A4 chips in current iPads, iPhone 4 and Apple TV.

The video chip would run alongside a multiple-core ARM Cortex A9 general-purpose processor inside the tablet. It is also possible Apple would extend the new graphics and processing chips to its entire line of iOS products, including the next-generation iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.

Besides the latest speculation on the processing power of the iPad 2, the next-generation tablet is rumored to also include dual cameras (one on the back with flash and one on the front for FaceTime), as well as a slimmer design and a larger speaker. Leaked photos allegedly depicting the display of the iPad 2 indicate that the tablet will also feature a high-resolution screen, exactly double the pixels of the current iPad (reaching 1536x800), in order to preserve compatibility with current apps.

Another hot iPad 2 rumor is that the tablet will feature a triple-mode wireless chip, which would allow it to run on either GSM + UMTS or CDMA networks, thanks to a Qualcomm chipset. This triple-mode chip could also make its way on the next version of the iPhone, expected this summer.